Peter Tladi

South African jazzmen, talent scout and artist management to promoter, he has championed a host of careers and has helped create stars. Executive producer of Joy of Jazz Festival. [B]Peter Tladi started [u]T-Musicman[/u] in 1989 with the vision of growing South Africa's live music scene into a vibrant and dynamic sector of the music industry. [B]Peter Tladi cut his teeth in the record industry; first working as a PR manager at the then RPM Records (which later became part of Gallo). He then moved to Mike Fuller Music and quickly moved to EMI Music South Africa working as Marketing Director. During these early years he helped develop the careers of South African greats, such as Rebecca Malope, Mercy Pakela, Brenda Fassie, Vuyo Mokoena and Sankomota. Seeing a gap in artist management, Peter left EMI after two years to start T-Musicman. He is the first to admit that the right training is vital to success in the music industry and to this end studied marketing and sales management, as well as continuously attending music seminars. “I am a businessman first and foremost, and then an entertainer.” He took the first fledgling step to staging a jazz festival on home ground, by developing Jazz by the River at Dickenson Park in Vereeniging in 1994. The vision included not only artist development, but also audience expansion and stakeholder participation. The audience has grown from a couple of hundred in its first year, to one of the highest attended festivals in the country. The festival has also helped to launch the careers of many local and national artists such as; McJays, Labantu, Bow and Arrow and formed the Sedibeng Big Band (info 2), which performed alongside Japanese pianist, Keiko Matsui. Another landmark development in his career was the establishment of the Joy of Jazz festivals, which became the highlight of the South African jazz calendar. Joy of Jazz started at the State Theatre in Pretoria. The event has since sharpened its focus, developed into the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz and moved to Newtown, Johannesburg in 2000. The festival has been responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in jazz to South African shores; including such recent luminaries as Dianne Reeves, Lee Ritenour, Dave Koz, The Yellow Jackets, Keiko Matsui, Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Earl Klugh, [a323539] and Joe Sample. The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has also featured legendary artists; Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa and Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu. Other highlights include the coordination of the Portnet South Africa Gala Dinner in Montreal, Canada in 2001; artist liaison and management for South Africa Day celebrations at Trafalgar Square in London in 2001; celebrating 20 Year Celebration in Music with Rebecca Malope in 2003; as well as the 2010 Soccer Bid Celebration at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown in 2004. T-Musicman has made their vision of servicing South Africa's communities with quality festivals a reality, by launching a wide range of festivals on provincial levels. These range from the Tikwe Jazz Festival in the Free State, the Secunda Jazz Festival, the Mapungubwe Jazz Festival and MACfest in Mapumalanga amongst others. On the artist management side T-Musicman continue to represent some of the countries foremost artists, including Jonas Gwangwa, Don Laka, Kunle, Mzwakhe Mbuli, Kanda Bongo Man and Rebecca Malope. T-Musicman has previously managed Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, and Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse. Peter is also the Founding Director of the label Bula Music and distribution company IMD South Africa. Since its inception in 1997 Peter is also President of the South African Music Promoters' Association (SAMPA), an organisation aimed at maintaining standards and assisting in the growth of music festivals and shows in the country. SAMPA also aids in promoting local artists globally and has been responsible for [B]Peter Tladi has distinguished himself as a world-class promoter, by receiving an honorary citizenship from the city of New Orleans, where he has forged close ties with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.